Reckitt Benckiser expands PowerRBrands with new campaign

PARSIPPANY, N.J. One month after testing its social media game PoweRBrands on Facebook, Reckitt Benckiser announced Thursday the official launch of its corresponding advertising/marketing campaign.

The campaign, which is aimed at 18- to 30-year-olds, aims to show how the company operates and what makes its stand out among other fast-moving consumer goods companies, Reckitt Benckiser said. As previously reported by Drug Store News, RB developed social media game PoweRBrands, which is to designed to mirror the real-life experience of being a marketing executive for its users.

Andraea Dawson-Shepherd, RB’s global communications director, said: "Over the last two to three years, we have been placing increasing emphasis on recruiting top talent and have developed a series of initiatives to reach out to gifted students and people early on in their career. The game is the logical ‘next step’ in building a strong online presence, and it’s totally in keeping with our commitment to continuing innovation."

FDA issues warning letters for two green tea drinks

SILVER SPRING, Md. The Food and Drug Administration recently issued two warning letters to the Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Unilever for their respective green tea beverages, stating that the companies’ nutritional claims are not in compliance with FDA regulations.

The FDA sent a warning letter on Aug. 30 to DPS regarding the sparkling green tea ginger ale product from its Canada Dry brand. The regulatory agency said that the beverage maker’s product label "bears a nutrient content claim that is not authorized by regulation," using such beverage content claims as antioxidants, enhanced with vitamin C and fortified with nutrients. The FDA said in its letter, "[the agency] does not consider it appropriate to fortify snack foods, such as carbonated beverages."

A similar warning letter was issued on Aug. 23 to Unilever, which stated that Unilever’s Lipton green tea labeling on the brand’s website contained therapeutic claims. Lipton’s website claimed that green tea was cited as a reducer of cholesterol levels in people with coronary disease in four recent studies, which the FDA said implied that "the product is a drug because it is intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease."

The FDA requested executives from both companies to respond to the citations within 15 days and to outline their plans for addressing the problems.

Former Gillette executive joins Welch’s

CONCORD, Mass. The maker of Concord and Niagara grape-based products has named a former Gillette executive as its new chief marketing officer.

Matthew Wohl joined Welch’s last week, following a 16-year career at Gillette, where he lead product development, innovation, new product launches and marketing communications for a number of brands including Mach3, Fusion and most recently the 2010 launch of Fusion ProGlide razors.

"We are enjoying very positive business momentum at Welch’s, and we are delighted to welcome Matthew to the team," said Brad Irwin, Welch’s president and CEO. "We are excited by the depth of his experience and his proven ability to build world-class brands while balancing with a practical focus on sales."

The protein drinks contain pea-protein, nine grams of sugar, no more than 160 calories, and come in four flavors, while the cold-pressed juices come in two options and contain seven ingredients and no sugar.

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